PUBLIC
HEARING AGENDA REQUEST

Topic:ZONING ORDINANCE TEXT AMENDMENT TO SECTION 7-603 (TREE CANOPY
REQUIREMENTS) TO BRING THE FAUQUIER COUNTYZONING ORDINANCE INTO
ACCORD WITH THE CODE OF VIRGINIA

Topic Description:

The Fauquier County Zoning Ordinance
currently states calculations for tree canopy requirements be
based on the canopy at 10 years of maturity, while the Code of
Virginia calls for the calculations to be based upon a 20-year
maturity.The Code of
Virginia also states “the ordinance shall provide for reasonable
exceptions to or deviations from these requirements to allow for
reasonable development of farm land or other areas devoid of woody
materials, for the preservation of wetlands, or otherwise when the
strict application of the requirements would result in unnecessary
or unreasonable hardship to the developer.”To date, the Fauquier County Zoning Ordinance has no
specific means of providing such a waiver or modification.The amendment package would empower the Zoning
Administrator to make determinations regarding requests for
waivers or modifications to tree canopy requirements.The Zoning Administrator already has the authority to grant
waivers to landscape and buffer ordinances.

Please note this
text amendment is needed to bring the landscape and buffering
section of the Zoning Ordinance into conformance with the Code of
Virginia.The
Planning Commission unanimously recommended that the Zoning
Ordinance revision be adopted.

The staff report
with additional background information is provided as Attachment 1

Requested
Action of the Board of Supervisors:

Hold
a public hearing at the Board’s May 20, 2002 meeting.If the Board wishes to adopt the amendment, an ordinance of
approval is Attachment 2

Financial
Impacts Analysis:

No
financial analysis was conducted.

Identify
any other Departments, Organizations or Individuals that would be
affected by this request: